Trying to Remember

Another wonderful swim today in the pool. I had two of the cutest varsity swimmers in the lane next to me, and I felt like I was swimming with dolphins. ( I even told their coach...not the cute part...the dolphin part) Okay....so as you might know I love to think alot while I swim and today my mind wandered back to the recesses of my childhood memories. Perhaps it was because I had spent last night visiting with one of my favorite cousins, Donna. She was home from Calgary visiting her Mom. Both Donna and her sister make several trips home throughout the year to visit with her. Here we are together after a nice dinner at Athens.

Now back to the pool thoughts. Donna and I are just 13 months different in age. We were close growing up and I was always rewarded with her beautiful hand me down dresses.( and that was a reward...she had lovely dresses) I remember a few high school events with her, and one particular boy that we both liked, some camping trips, and visits at her house. ( my grandmother lived at her house) As I reflected on these few events, it made me ponder other events in my childhood, and quite frankly I don't remember many. So for my posterity here are a few:

• the schoolyard at my elementary school was divided boys and girls.
• I don't know who I walked to school with (oops...not memory...but I was wondering...)
• our neighbors ( Flynns) had a swing set
• Mike Flynn got hit by a car when he biked down our hill
• Don Davidson( another neighbor) and I watched Saturday night hockey together and we made Kraft pizza
• I didn't have many girl neighbors
• I didn't like the neighbor across the street...he scared me
• There was a strange looking lady who walked weird and picked up gum off the sidewalk...we always ran when we saw her coming.
• There was a building close by that regularly blew an air raid siren...and we did nothing
• I liked to talk to my older people neighbors(Agnes,Ethel,and Mr.Landsburg)
• There was a boy around the corner named Jackie and he teased me about my name
• We had two special corner stores...Scots and Munchies ( both on Chebucto Rd) later Potties on Oxford street
• We wore hats to church...special ones at Easter
• I shared a bedroom with my two sisters.Julie and I shared the double bed. We had one closet, big enough for nothing
• Our bedroom was hot all summer, and you guessed freezing in the winter. Heat came up through an opening in the floor and we'd stand over it to get warm enough to head downstairs.
• My brother Eric broke a bottle ( kicking a ball) in the basement and I ended up with stitches very close to me eye.
• My Dad didn't like to get up early on Christmas morning ( hangover)
• Our bathroom was almost as small as my bedroom closet.
• I had two cats...a ginger colored one named Yogi, and a white one called Endora. I also had a dog called Jip....but not for very long ( not sure why)
• My brother Eric liked to flick his finger at me...and it bothered me a lot

I took a break there....and it's now a few days later. While sitting in church today I found a photo stuck in my Bible. I don't have hardly any childhood photos...so I came home and took a photo of the photo for this post. Today I will finish the post...then I'm going to write to my siblings to see if they can share some memories with me. On to the photo...and my two other childhood photos....



• This was taken in Francois Newfoundland in the summer of 1961( stamped on the photo.) I would be ten then and while I don't remember much about this photo...I do remember the following:
• this was the trip that Glenn fell off the ferry boat while we were docked in Burgeo, and Dad rescued him. He was three at the time.
• I am wearing a skort in this picture...which was a pleated skirt over shorts..all attached..that was the fashion
• I used to tan well
• I look pretty skinny....nice to know that I once was.
• No other recollections about the trip and that chicken in the photo.

This was my only school picture from Elementary school ( Ardmore)

I'm guessing that it might be grade two or three

The dress was a yellow nylon dress.

My mother cut my hair

This is my only baby photo. The full picture has me sitting on  a leather hassock.

I look like a pretty happy baby.( no one remembers their baby days)

Now back to my childhood memory list.....I'm feeling that this is so important to do....I can't get it off of my mind.

• Nanny Nash stayed with us when Mom and Dad took Grandad to Newfoundland to be buried
• Mom cooked liver, and I ate it....I might have even liked it.
• I remember names of school friends from Ardmore...Elizabeth,Jill, Selena,Cathy, Shirley, Dianne,Alan, Rodney,Bobby,Darryl
• Elizabeth and I got in trouble in grade four during a math test. She mouthed to me...Are you done. I mouthed back yes. She got caught and had her test torn up. She told her mother that I talked too and in the afternoon the teacher, Miss Barringer tore my 100% math test up in front of the whole class.I sure was mad. I wasn't cheating!!!!! Elizabeth grew up to be a teacher like I did, and I saw her not too long ago...we're still friends.
• My crabby grade five teacher, Miss Harvey got married at Christmas, and after that she was really nice to us all.( she used to strap students if they didn't do their homework....until Christmas)
• My sixth grade teacher, Miss Wickwire was beautiful and young. She organized square dancing for us and I got to dance with Rodney.He was my first crush.
• Junior High took me to Westmount school and the Major (J)work class. I did not like this class because almost everyone in the class were kind of nerdy. I really did not feel like I belonged there. It was a three year class for 'smart' kids....guess they needed someone to be the bottom of the class!!
• I did have some good friends in that class....I walked to school with Carolyn and Rose...other friends were Gloria, Beth, Sharon, Debbie, Dawn, Dianne, Elaine, Gladys,Gerald, Greg, Donnie,Arthur,John, Nancy, a girl with curly hair and glasses. Our main teacher was Miss Clarke, plus we had Mrs. Schneiderman,Mr.Hartling, and some others.
• I didn't like Miss Clarke...but when I made it to high school I went back and thanked her for teaching me so many good study habits....we are still friends.
• I made other friends at the school, and hung out with them as much as I could...like Esther, Pat, Mona, Judy, Vicki,Judy L,Linda......I am still friends with them and see them at reunions
• I got side tracked with all those school memories....perhaps I was so caught up in school ( and I did play some basketball at school) that I wasn't home much!! No it's just my memory.
• I remember the day that I got my first period...It happened at school and I was wearing my pale blue jumper...and it got stained...no one had prepared me for this event...and I was scared beyond. I walked home with my sweater tied around my waist, and I thought that I might be dieing!!
• My parents took us camping, sometimes to PEI
• We didn't have a car when I was little
• We used to make up commercials using foods from the kitchen cupboard
• Mom bought colored ( pink, yellow, blue,green) bread from the french pastry for our birthdays.She also made peanut butter and banana sandwiches rolled up  and sliced for our parties. We also had rice krispie squares. I don't remember my parties.
• We bought fish and chips often on Fridays from the Fish and Chip store on Chebucto Rd.
• My cousins belonged to the Waeg...sometimes they took me with them.
• I started babysitting when I was around 12....lots for the Flynns. ( they had 10 children)

So my post is getting way too long....but I will revisit these thoughts from time to time. My advice to one and all...WRITE DOWN YOUR MEMORIES.....they won't always be there.